Process of making decolorizing carbon.



R. W. MUMFORD.

PROCESS OF MAKING DECOLORIZING CARBON.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 19l8.

1 9 1 H w s G e DH E M t2 H e t a P a 7 10 Z L avwu ltoz R; W. MUMFORD.

PROCESS OF MAKING DECOLORIZING CARBON.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15, IBIS.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL WILLIAM MUMFORD, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., AS$IGNOB TO REFINING PRODUCTS COBPORATIONQOF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF MAKING DECOLORIZING CARBON.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSELL WILLIAM MUMFORD, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Imprm'ements in Processes of Making Decolorizing Carbons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to processes of making decolorizing carbons; and it comprises a method of makin decolorizing carbons of a high degree of e ciency from various carbonaceous and vegetable materials such as sawdust, peat, lignite, woody residues from themanufacture of dextrose by acid, etc., wherein such a material is exposed to radiated heat such exposure being in flat thin layers, shielded from active circulation of gases, such radiated heat being produced within a suitable chamber by what is known as surfacecombustion therein; that is by combustion of gases in or on a refractory surface by means of approximately the right amount of air or oxygen required for such combustion; all as more fully. hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

Vegetable carbon of the nature of charcoal has, as is well known, a certain degree of decolorizing power, but this power is too limited to warrant its use for most technical purposes; the purposes for which boneblack is employed. The reason why the carbon of charcoal is, relatively, inactive is not known.

It is perhaps due to the kind of carbon or perhaps to the "lack of active surface area. Whatever the reason, the fact exists. Of recent years,however, various kinds of preparations of charred materials known under the general trade name of idecolorizing car-.

bons, having, amore or less efficient. de-

colorizing power have come into use; partly for-the purposes'forwhich .bo'neblack is used and partly for purposes to which 'boneblack cannot beadapted. As a rule they are fine powders and L are not, used in .filters, as is oneblack, but are directly stirred into the liquids to be purified, being subsequently removed by: settling, or, filterpres'sing.

give bright liquids or, i in ot Specification of Letters Patent.

Used .in thiscmannfer they are more or; less .efii-p cientin removingcolon-but enerally. do not.

' ercwordmhey; do notremove-the, fine floating or sus end matter to which turbidity is,.- due o ten In. 1 deed. because of their fineness, 'rathercon:

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application filed January 15, 1918. Serial No. 211,979.

tributing to its amount. A subsequent treatment with kieselguhr, or something oflike finely porous nature, is often necessary to re-' move turbidity, both that originally present and that due to the decolorizing carbon itself? 'These decolorizing carbons of a high degree of decolorizing activity are expensive to make by the processes now in use and are consequently rather costly. The expense is partly due to the complicatedprocesses used,

and the amount of heat required and partly because of the small yields of the final product. It is the object of'the present invention to provide a cheap, simple and ready process giving material of high decolorizing power in abundant yield.

Any vegetable tissue, such as woody material, peat, etc., is ofcourse a com licated wood, and other carbonaceous materials, the

temperature goes up slowly until the moisture-is removed, and then suddenly rises. This is supposed to be due to the fact that the breaking down of the wood in charrlng,

after the moisture is driven ofl, is a heata evolving phenomenon. In charring, the first action is the evolution of various gases, vapors, creosotes, tars, etc., and thesein turn break down again with formation ofmore carbon; that isthere are produced what may be called primarycarbon and secondary carbon- Becausewof the rapidity with which 5 9 is deposited in the m ass'itself; the natural. pores andficells of the material become. more vor .less gchoked- .-.with seic0ndary, carb0n- -When so choked or plugged up, whetli e r ,be "cause the 1 secondary carbon. -is not active or I whether? because thexactive area is lessene the product (whichFis ordinary charcoal); 1s, v as stated, t; little; a tivity tor zd qnzm'g purposes-.11 j .Two main; process s. are 1} 1 9 f the temperature rises the. secondarycarbon or mak g aa t t rtilproce in i ,whichJt-heWOod is heated inclosed'coutam- I e Py- 1 $i. 6 h at; a t e ilnaprw s in Qh he emperat e is bp rrby l wre.

ing a slow flow of air through the mass of wood. In both the retort process and the kiln process the temperature at the time of charring is higher than is, apparently, warranted by the amount of heat supplied to the mass.

Sawdust, macerated peat and many other carbonaceous materials when in a comminuted state are bad conductors of heat and when trying to carbonize these materials in large quantities in retorts of large size, the parts nearest to the retort walls carbon ze much quicker than the parts in the interior of the mass, so that an exterior carbon shell is formed around the interior or core of uncarinal material and retards further propaga-- tion of heat to thecore. It is difficult to secure even earbonization of the Whole charge, and if the heating be pushed to give higher wall temperatures, the exterior layers of the material first charred are apt to waste away, reducing the yield.

In the manufacture of decolorizing carbons from granular vegetable materials, charring is in retorts which are usually heated as quickly as possible to as high a temperature as possible; and it is usual to blow in superheated products of combustion containing water vapor and carbon dioxid or superheated steam. Both steam and carbon dioxid, at these temperatures, are active oxidants for carbon; and both cause wasting away and small yields.

In the resent invention I rearrange charring conditions so, that I can produce a highly active carbon with no uneven or merely partial carbonization, of the vegetable or carbonaceous material, and so, that all the fuel heat employed is applied in the most efficacious and direct manner to the material to be carbonized, that there is no sudden production of high temperature with the resultant deposition of secondary carbon in the material to be carbonized, and that large quantities of material can be carbonized under conditions permitting of com-1 mercially practicable yields without un'due waste of-the final material produced.

ture.

finally to a point above 800 C. but to do By rearranging charring conditions so as to keep controlled temperatures 1t possible to heat the mass slowly, uniformly, and progressively, at first extrlcatmg the volatile products of carbonization and. getting rid of them, ;'and then completin the charring b the application of a hlg temperat is my aim to carry the temperature this slowly, uniformly and gradually without a sudden passage from around 100 C. (the temperature at which the water vapor is expelled) to above 800. To this end, I char my vegetable or carbonaceous materials in relatively thin or shallow layers in metal memes .is done by open flame of the ordinary type in proximity to the material it will simply burn away. Flame and fire gases as they are produced in the ordinary type of furnace carry an excess of oxygen and furthermore draft conditions cause a relatively violent agitation within the furnace chamher so that the flame gases inevitably gain access to the material to be charred. In order to heat the materials in the way desired in the present invention with the use of ordinary firing means, the trays containing the material have to be more or less securely covered, so as to prevent the flame gases gaining direct access to the vegetable material to be carbonized. Covering the trays, however, means on the one hand the retention of the volotile products, tar, resins, creosotes, ete., longer in proximity to the charrin material, and on the other hand unless t e cover be sealed, does not preclude outside gases entering and carrying oxygen into the mass.

I therefore find, .that it is much better when charring the material in thin or shallow layers in metal trays to provide special means of heating. The special means of heating which I employ is what is known as surface combustion the passage of air and combustible gas in about the corresponding amounts (without the excess of air always used in ordinary combustion) through porous brick or tile in such a manner that they unite and burn only on and in the face of the tile. Instead of using porous brick or tile, masses of granular material may be employed. As long as the rate of feed of the air-gas mixture to the face of the porous material is faster than the rate of backward propagation of ignitionthe combustion will be confined to the surface 0 posite the surface of introduction of t e mixture. The gases produced by surface combustion are intensel extra air usually present and are not, comparatively, high y oxidizing in their character. By placing the trays on the sole or hearth of a reverberatory chamber rovided with surface combustion means, the intensely hot products of combustion ascend at once to the arch, heating the arch and furnishing heat downward by radiation. In so doing,

hot, beingfree of the cooling influence o the diluting may be arranged to move progressively through a long tunnel-like chamber by the use of any suitable type of conveyer. This not'only gives a more economical operation, but it hasthe great advantage that the time of exposure to heat at each temperature between, say, from 100 and the end point of above 800 (3., is under absolute control. It isiof course easy to heat different portions of the tunnel-like heating chamber to" fairly definite temperatures with the aid of surface combustion urners located at various points along its length, and to regulate positively the speed of travel of trays on a 'conveyer going through the heating chamber.

As a raw material I may use almost any vegetable material, or such like materials as peat, brown coal, etc., which for the sakeof convenience may also-be called vegetable materials, and because of the way in which heating is efi'ected I am not restricted to the production of very fine powders, such as e are yielded by most of the methods of making decolorizmg-carbon in closed retorts.

I can on the other hand produce comparatively coarse granular carbon which not only has a high degree of efiioiency but because of its $128 does not roduce turbidity in the liquid to be puri ed, while on the other hand, because of its porosity it has an absorbing action on the very fine solids in a.

' state of suspension or quasi-solution, to

which most permanent turbidity in liquids is due. In other words such coarse material unites the functions of the ordina decolorizing carbons and of the kieselgu r or the like which are often used in conjunction with them for the purpose of clarification. Ordinary sawdust from pine or hard woods may be employed as a raw material but it may be desirable to clean out the pores of the sawdust as much as is practicable prior to the carbonization as this facilitates extrication of the volatile products and thereby aids in preventing deposition of secondary" carbon. To this end, the sawdustmay first be treated with any suitable extracting means capable of removing a part of the matter present. A very useful material for the present purposes is the coarse, highly porous residues left after certain processes of making suganbyl' treating wood w th sulfuric acid or the ike. After the action of the acid, a certain amount of the woody mixtures 50f action keeps on up fiber is left behind in a highly porous conrous. For example, the waste of vegetable ivory (ivory nut) when ground into a powder and mixed with a solution'of molasses or sugar 'to form a doughlike paste will give a good product. Brown coal, or lignite, mixed with molasses or starch also gives a good material. A mixture of brown coal and peat is also desirable as giving good products. F finelymacerated peat and pulverized coal, advantageousl brown coal, may be worked into a doughli e mass with water and from 1 to 3 per cent. of starch. gives a good yield of material of high efliciency. Good materials may be made from peat and pulverized coal in equal proportions. Other mixtures ma be made containing only 25 per cent. of pu verized coal or with as much as 60 per cent. of pulverized coal. Instead of using starch or sugar in these mixtures a solution of monocalcium phosphate may be worked in followed b milk of lime, producing gelatinous trica cium phosphate in ,the mixture. Cork dust with admixture of animal colloid matter, such as a solution of glue, may be used, or rice and corn ground with the admixture of an emulsion of fine magnesium carbonate. The presence of a mineral spacing agent in the mixture is advantageous in charring as spacing and isolatin the car.- bonaceous particles from each ot er. Different mineral matters may be used for this purpose, and maybe subsequentl removed from the product by shifting, l evigation. etc. Various carbonates and oxids, of not too readily reducible nature, may be used for this urpose, bein finally extracted with acids. ffind that t e best of these minor example, equal amounts of- Such a mixture eral spacing agents is dolomite; magnesium limestone. At about 250 0., dolomite begins to evolve carbon dioxid slowly and this to about 600 C. or higher. The contained magnesium carbonate first gives u its carbon dioxid and then.

the calcium car onate in turn furnishes carbon dioxid. The carbon dioxid in its evolution not onl checks sudden heatingv but it has the furt er advantage that it is taken up in the pores of the material and then as the tem eratures goes up it reacts with the carbon y the well known water gas reaction, oxidizing the carbon. In other words, it is taken up by the pores of the material and later, when the temperature is higher, reacts with the carbon-present, tendingto clear out any secondary carbon which may be deposited in the pores. After the material is made, the bulk of the lime and magnesia may be removed by sedimentation and any residue finally extracted with a little acid. I do not usually emplo calcium carbonate as it does not tend to urnish carbon dioxid to any extent until the temperature becomes fairly high and at this high temperature there is a sudden evolution of gas. Its action is too destructive. Instead of using dolomite I may employ a little manganese dioxid. This gives a slow evolution of oxygen throughout a wide range of temperatures and has the same pore-clearing effect as the carbon dioxid.

It is usually necessary to dry the material and for this purpose the hot waste gases going from the charring operation may be advantageously employed.

In the accompanying illustration I have shown, more or less diagrammatically and fragmentarily apparatus adapted for use in the present process. In the showing,

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through a surface combustion heating chamber showing a pan in position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental longitudinal view showing a series of pans in position on a carrier and hooked together; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary central vertical section of a drier.

In this showing, element 1 is an arch of brick or any other suitable material forming part of a tunnel-like heating chamber of any desired length. At its fioor it may be provided with carrier 2 having flange 3 overlapping wall 4 and making an approximate joint therewith. Between this wall and the main wall of the chamber is a gutter-like depression 5 within which are located aplurality of surface combustion burners, in? dicated diagrammatically as 6. Within the pan 7 is a layer of material to be carbonized 8. In the showing of Fig. 2 the pans are shown as each provided with a yoke member 9 linking adjacent pans together and permitting the whole assemblage to be pulled through the tunnel-like chamber as a train if so desired. The pans may be provided with a thin metal cover shown in dotted lines as 10. But this is not ordinarily necessary. In use the burners 5 along the length of the chamber are so adjusted as to give a regulated increase in temperature along-such length. The hot gases ascend from the burners to the roof of the arch and there form a hot layer through which 3 heat radiates down into the pan. The vaj pors and gases from the charring material rise-upward and jointhis layer. The commamas bustion in the chamber is mainly in the burners and there is not a violent surging, whirling mass of vapors and gases gaining access to the material being heated. After the material has been finished at the desired temperature, say above 800 C., it is dumped into water to cool it and the mineral matter, if such has been employed, is removed by sedimentation, and if necessary with the further use of a suitable acid to remove the last traces of any mineral matter present.

The carbon is then thoroughly dried in a rotary hot tube under the influence of the -(l1'y excess gases from the carbonizing furnace, or dry steam as shown in Fig. 3. In

this showing element 11 is a stationary tube communicating with a source of supply of wet carbon to be dried. Revolving on the stationary tube is a tubular extension 12 of a rotating drum 13 provided with suitable journals (not shown). At or about the middle of this drum may advantageously be a screen 14 for holding back clumps or aggregates. At the lower end of the drum, which is set somewhat inclined, is a door 15 for removing dried carbpn. Into this lower end hot waste gases from the carbonatin furnace may be introduced at 16. In lleu of using the waste gases from the carbonization, I may use superheated steam (dry steam) or any other convenient heating gases or vapors.

The final product is more or less coarse grained material (this depending on the initial material) having open pores and a tex ture which is substantially the same as the original cellular texture of the ,material under treatment. It is a very eficient decolorant for solutions of sugar, glucose, glue, milk sugar, also vegetable and mineral oils, glycerin, etc., and its action is not dependent on any particular acid or alkaline reaction of the solution to be treated. In use it not only removes coloring matters very efi'ectually but also gives bright liquids by taking up the substances causing turbidity. It does not itself contribute to turbidity.

What I claim is 1. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charring carbonaceous matter in thin shallow layers at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending up to 800 C. and above; the conditions of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

2. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charringv vegetable matter in thin shallow layers contamed in metal trays at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending up to 800 C. and above; the conditrons of heating being such as to preclude ang sudden rise in temperature.

The process of producing decolorizing 1 carbon which comprises uniformly charring carbon which comprises uniformly charring commuted carbonaceous matter in thin shallow layers contained in metal trays at progressively increasing temperatures 5 through a range extending above 800 C.

under conditions of direct and reverberatingheat as created in surface combustion furnace, the heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

4;. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises charring comminuted vegetable matter in thin shallow layers in the presence of admixed mineral matter capable of absorbing heat, at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 0.; the conditions of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

5. The lprocess of producing decolorizing carbon w 'ch comprises charring in metal trays, a doughlike mass of moist comminuted vegetable matter"? in thin shallow layers, in the presence of admixed pulverized mineral matter capable of absorbing heat, at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 0., the conditions of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

6. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charring comminuted carbonaceous matter in thin shallow layers in the presence of admixed mineral matter capable of absorbing heat and of evolving gases at progressively increasing temperatures through a. range extending above 800w 0.; the conditions of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

7. The process of producing decolorizing carbonwhich comprises uniformly charring in metal trays a doughlike mass of moist comminuted carbonaceous matter in thin shallow layers, said mass containing admixed pulverized mineral matter capable Def absorbing heat and of evolving gases at progressively increasing temperatures. through a range extending above 800 C., the conditions of heating eing such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

8. The process of producing decolorizing in metal trays, thin shallow layers of a doughlike mass of thoroughly moistened comminuted carbonaceous matter containin admixed pulverized mineral matter capa le of absorbing heat and of evolving gases at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C. under the conditions of heating furnished by surface combustion furnaces, the mode of heating being such as to preclude any su den rise in temperature, dumping the cabonized product into water under exclusion of air, removing the mineral matter by s sedimentation and thoroughly drying the carbon in a rotary tube under the influence of heat and the excess gases of the carbonizing furnace.

9. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charring comminuted moist vegetable matter in thin shallow layers in the presence of admixed moist inorganic matter capable of absorbing water and retainin same with some persistency up to relatively high temperatures, continuing heating the mixture at progressively increasing temperatures through a ran e extending above 800 C., the condition of eating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

10. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charring moist comminuted carbonaceous matter in thin shallow layers in the presence of admixed moist finely comminuted organic matter capable of absorbing water and retaining same with some persistency, continuing heating the mixture at progressively increasin temperatures through a range extending a ve 800 (1., the condition of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

11. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charring in metal trays, thin shallow layers of a doughlike mass of moist comminuted vegetable matter with admixture of moist pulverized mineral matter, such mineral matter being capable of absorbing water andretaining same with some persistency up to relatively high temperatures, continuing heating the mixture at progressively in- I creasing temperatures through a rangeextending above 800 C. under the conditions of heating furnlshed by surface combustion, the mode of heating being such as to preelude any sudden rise in temperature, dumping the carbonized product into water under exclusion of air, removing the mineral matter by sedimentation and thoroughly drying the carbon in a rotary tube under the influence of heat and the excess gases of the carbonizin furnace.

12-. e process of producing decolorizing carbon which com rises uniformly charring in metal trays in shallow layers of a doughlike mass of moist comminuted carbonaceous matter with admixture of other moist finely divided organic matter, such other organic matter bemg capable of absorbing water and retaining same with some persistency, continuing heating the mixture at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C. under the conditions of heating furnished by surface combustion, the mode of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature, dumping the carbonized prod not into water under exclusion of moving the mineral matter b sedimentation air, rteran and thoroughly drying the carbon in a heated rotary tube under the influence of dry steam.

13. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charring moist comminuted carbonaceous matter in thin shallow layers in admixture with pulverized dolomitic limestone at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C.; the conditions of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

14. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charring in metal trays thin layers of moist comminuted vegetable matter in admixture with granular dolomitic limestone, at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C. under surface combustion heating, the heating conditions being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature, dumping the carbonized material into water, removing the mineral matter and thoroughly drying the carbon in a no tary hot tube under the influence of hot gases.

' 15. The process of producingdecolorizing carbon which comprises uniformly charring in metal trays thin layers of a mixture of moist comminuted vegetable matter with the products of reaction of milk of lime and a solution of monocaleium phosphate at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C. under surface combustion heating conditions, the heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature, removing the mineral matter by sedimentation and thoroughly drying the carbon in a rotary hot tube under the influence of dry steam.

16. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises slowly and uniformly charring in metal trays in thin shallow layers a doughlike mass of finely macer= ated peat containing an admixture of milk of lime at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C. under surface combustion heating condi tions, the heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature, dumping the carbonized material into water under exclusion of air, sedimenting the mineral mataaeaeaa ter, and thoroughly drying the carbon in a rotary heated drum under the influence of hot gases. V

17. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises slowly and uniforml heating fine macerated peat containing admixed finely divided vegetable colloid matter in. thin shallow layers in metal trays at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 (1., the conditions of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

18. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises slowly and uniformly heating fine macerated peat contain-' ing admixed vegetable colloid matter in thin shallow layers in metal trays at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C. under surface combustion heating conditions, the heating conditions being such as to reclude any sudden rise in temperature, umping the carbonized" material into water under exclusion of air and thoroughly drying the carbon in a rotary heated drum under the unfiuence of dry steam.

19. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises slowly and uniformly heatinga doughlike mixture of finely macerated peat, pulverized .brown coal, and

starch in thin shallow layers in metal trays at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C. the conditions of heating being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature.

20. The process of producing decolorizing carbon which comprises slowly and uniformly heating in metal trays in thin layers a doughlike mixture of fine macerated peat, moist granular brown coal and starch, at progressively increasing temperatures through a range extending above 800 C. by surface combustion heating, the heating conditions being such as to preclude any sudden rise in temperature, dumping thecarbonized material into water under exclusion of air, and then thoroughly drying the carbon in a rotary heated drum by the waste gases of the carbonizing furnace.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

7 RUSSELL WILLIAM MUMFORD. 

